USSF D-2 Pro League Standings Remain Tight after Week 16 Matches

NewsJul 26, 2010

Week 16 Recap and Week 17 Preview of the 2010 USSF D-2 Pro League

Week 16 Recap The first of four midweek games in Week 16 of USSF D-2 Pro League action got underway in Quebec, where the Montreal Impact blanked AC St. Louis 3-0. Over in Minnesota, the NSC Minnesota Stars and the Puerto Rico Islanders played out to a 1-1 draw. The following day, the Rochester Rhinos grabbed a 1-0 win away to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, while the Portland Timbers continued to hold the upper hand against their Northwest rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC with a 2-1 win on the road. The weekend kicked off with a Saturday afternoon match between Crystal Palace Baltimore and St. Louis in Boyds, Md. St. Louis managed a 1-0 victory against their NASL Conference rivals to go gain three valuable road points. Later in the evening, Puerto Rico handed Rochester a 3-1 loss in Bayamon. Sunday afternoon saw Tampa Bay defeat Miami FC 2-0 at home to split their home games during the week, while Minnesota visited Vancouver to wrap up the weekend with a 1-1 draw.Week 16 Results

Portland now holds a 2-0-1 record against Northwest rival Vancouver, including their latest 2-1 victory on the road.

Austin, who were idle during Week 16, is the only team with just two losses.

Vancouver and Miami, who sit at the top and bottom of the NASL Conference respectively, both hold the most number of draws this season with nine.

Week 17 PreviewWeek 17 kicks off on Tuesday when the Carolina RailHawks play host to the Rochester Rhinos at 7 p.m. ET on July 27 in Cary, N.C. Wednesday, July 28 will feature the second and third weekday matches, starting with an all-Canadian matchup between the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 7:30 p.m. ET in Montreal, Quebec. That game will be followed by the Portland Timbers traveling to AC St. Louis for a 8:10 p.m. ET kickoff. Four matches will be contested on Saturday, July 31 with Crystal Palace Baltimore and Montreal getting the action started at 7 p.m. ET in Boyds, Md. Down the road in Cary, N.C., the RailHawks and Vancouver will also kick off at 7 p.m. ET. Portland continues their Week 17 road trip when they face the Tampa Bay Rowdies on July 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET in Tampa, while Miami FC meets the league-leading Austin Aztex at 8:30 p.m. ET at House Park in Austin. The week wraps up with a Sunday afternoon match in St. Louis as the NSC Minnesota Stars pay a visit to the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park at 6 p.m. ET.

Week 17 Schedule

Date

Match

Time (ET)

Venue

July 27

Carolina RailHawks vs. Rochester Rhinos

7 p.m.

WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.

July 28

AC St. Louis vs. Portland Timbers

8:10 p.m.

Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park; St. Louis, Mo.

July 28

Montreal Impact vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

7:30 p.m.

Stade Saputo; Montreal, Quebec

July 31

Crystal Palace Baltimore vs. Montreal Impact

7 p.m.

Maryland SoccerPlex; Boyds, Md.

July 31

Carolina RailHawks vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

7 p.m.

WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.

July 31

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Portland Timbers

7:30 p.m.

George M. Steinbrenner Field; Tampa, Fla.

July 31

Austin Aztex vs. Miami FC

8:30 p.m.

House Park; Austin, Texas

Aug. 1

AC St. Louis vs. NSC Minnesota Stars

6 p.m.

Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park; St. Louis, Mo.

Week 17 Notes

Rochester will be looking to even their record against Carolina, who were 1-0 victors against the New York club the last time they met on July 17. The Rhinos currently hold a 0-1-1 record against the RailHawks as both teams sit in second place in their respective conferences.

Portland is in the middle of a four-game road swing that began last week with 2-1 victory in Vancouver. They face St. Louis and Tampa this week before ending up in Rochester on Aug. 4.

Carolina and Vancouver meet in a matchup of the top of the NASL Conference on Saturday evening in Cary, N.C. The teams played to a 1-1 draw the last time they met on June 9 in Vancouver.